Suture devices



June 5, 1962 E. sTEvANs 3,037,619

SUTURE DEVICES Filed Nov. 1'6, 1959 INVENTOR. ERNEST STEVNS ATTORNEY United States This invention relates `to suture devices and more particularly to a sealed package containing a suture threaded needle ready for use by a physician in making an emergency suture.

The principal object o-f the invention is to provide the physician with a convenient package containing all of the instruments necessary to making a suture, which is inexpensive to manufacture, which may be readily sterilized, assembled and packaged lto remain sterile until used, and which is thrown away or otherwise disposed of after once being used.

A further object of the invention is to provide the physician with a convenient package containing a suture threaded needle positioned in and held by `a disposable needle holder, allvsterilized and ready for use by the physician in making an emergency suture.

A further object is the provision of a conveniently packaged suture needle having affixed thereto a length of suture material provided with means to prevent contact of the suture material with contaminated areas before and during use. Further thereto, it is an object to provide the suture material with a protective cover which will not fall off the material but which may be readily withdrawn or removed therefrom as it is being used.

Other objects of the invention, as well as the advantages thereof, will become apparent from the following description when read with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a package embodying the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 2 2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of a package showing another embodiment of the invention; and

FIG. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken lalong the line 4-4 of FIG. l.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the suture needle 10 is provided with a length of suture material 11 which may be crimped in the end 12 of the needle, threaded through an eye not shown but provided in said end for such purpose, or otherwise axed thereto. Means covering the suture 4material 11 to prevent it from touching 'any contaminated or unsterile areas when in use are provided and may com prise a tube 13 of plastic material having a bore 14 in which is contained the suture material 11 shown vin cross-section in FIG. 4. Although not shown in FIG. 4 for the sake of clarity, the bore 14 is preferably of such diameter that the tube 13 will not freely slide olf the suture material 11 but will frictionally engage it, thereby necessitating a slight pull to withdraw the suture material from the tube 13. It will be noted that the tube 13 is positioned along the suture material such that the end 12 of the needle is also contained within the end portion of the tube 13, the bore 14 at such end being somewhat enlarged to accommodate the end of the needle and the relative sizes of the end 12 of the needle 10 and the enlarged bore preferably being such that they frictionally engage one another so as to prevent the tube 13 from falling off the needle 10. An end cap 15, shown in FIG. 2, is provided on the pointed end of the needle to prevent that end from piercing -or otherwise puncturing the bag 16, as well as to protect the needle from contamination upon removal from the bag.

The needle holder 17, preferably of plastic or other 'atent 'ice disposable material, is of the type having a pair 0f jaw members 18 and 19 pivotally connected as at 20 and provided with a conventional spring catch 21 positioned between the thumb and finger loops 22 and 23. As shown in FIG. 2, the needle 10 is gripped between the jaw members 18 and 19 at or near its midpoint and in a position ready for use whenever` the occasion arises.

The assembly of the needle holder 17 and needle 10 with cap 15, suture material 11 and tube 13, after thorough sterilization, is packaged in the bag 16. The bag 16 is composed of a suitable plastic material, such as vinyl, polyethylene, or polyvinylchloride, and as shown, comprises a single piece of material precut to convenient size which after sterilization is folded over on itself along the edge 24 and then heat sealed with the contents therein along the other three edges.

When it is desired to perform a suture, the physician cuts or rips open the bag 16 and by grasping the needle holder 17, either by the loops 22 and 23 or otherwise, removes the suture device from the bag. After removing the cap 15 from the needle 1li, the physician then slides the tube 13 from the end 12 of the needle and proceeds to make the suture. In so proceeding, after the pointed or sharp end of the needle has passed through the flesh of the patient on both sides of the wound or incision, the needle is released from the needle holder which is then utilized in a conventional manner to grasp the pointed or sharp end of the needle to pull the needle and suture material therewith across vthe wound. As the suture material is drawn across the wound, the tube 13 is withdrawn from the end thereof -in such manner that the suture material is prevented from touching any unsterilized or contaminated areas. When the suture material has been drawn approximately halfway across lthe wound, it is Ithen knotted and then cut from the needle and trimmed in the conventional manner. If an additional or more than one suture is required to close the wound or incision, the physician takes another packaged suture device and proceeds as just indicated, thereby assuring himself that the wound will remain free `of contamination las might otherwise be the case where any of the instruments are used for more than one suture.

Referring now to FIG. 3, there is shown an embodiment of the present invention wherein the needle 10 is provided with a cap 15, and a length of suture material 11 in turn enclosed within a tube 13, all -as indicated hereinabove with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, and all packaged in a sealed bag 16 in a similar manner. This package is ideally suited for use in operating rooms or physicians oflices where sterilized forceps or needle holders are readily available. When so used, the physician cuts or rips open the bag 16 and withdraws the suture device by grasping the tube 13. The needle 10 is gripped in the usual manner by a sterile needle holder, the cap 15 removed from the needle 10 and the tube 13 slid from the end 12 of the needle after which the physician proceeds to perform the suture as before.

Although shown and described in what is believed to be the most practical and preferred embodiments, it is apparent that departures therefrom will suggest themselves to those skilled in the art and may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. I therefore do not wish to restrict myself to the parti-cular forms of construction illustrated and described, but desire to avail myself of all modilications `that may fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. A sealed package comprising a bag having contained therein a suture needle, a length of suture material aliixed to one end of said needle, a cap provided on the other end of said needle, a plastic tube enclosing said length of suture material and being positioned therealong to en- 3 close that end of said needle to which said suture material is aiTiXed, and a needle holder, said needle holder gripping said needle in the vicinity of its midpoint and in a position ready for use.

2. A sealed package comprising a bag having contained therein a suture needle, a length of suture material affixed to one end of said needle, a cap provided on the other end of said needle, and a plastic tube having a bore in which is contained said length of suture material, said bore frictionally engaging said suture material and said tube being positioned therealong to enclose that end of said needle to which said suture material is affixed.

3. The combination set forth in claim 2 wherein the bore of said tube frictionally engages that end of said needle to which said suture material is afxed.

4. The combination comprising a suture needle, a length of suture material aixed to one end of said needle, a cap provided on the other end of said needle, a plastic tube enclosing said length of sut-ure material and being positioned therealong to enclose that end of said needle to which said suture material is afxed, and a needle holder, said needle holder gripping said needle in the vicinity of its midpoint and in a position ready for use, said combination being contained within a sealed bag.

5. A sealed package comprising a bag having contained therein a suture needle, a length of suture material affixed to one end of said needle, a cap provided on the other end of said needle, means covering said length of suture material and being positioned therealong to enclose that end of said needle to which said suture material is ailixed, and a needle holder, said needle holder gripping said needle in the vicinity of its midpoint and in a position ready for use.

6. A sealed package comprising a bag having contained therein a suture needle, a length of suture material affixed t0 one end of said needle, a cap provided on the other end of said needle, and means covering said length of suture material, said means frictionally engaging said suture material and being positioned therealong to enclose that end of said needle to which said suture material is atlixed.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,143,276 Hughes lune 15, 1915 1,436,160 Foedisch et al. Nov. 21, 1922 2,413,142 Jones et al Dec. 24, 1946 2,583,043 Dean Jan. 22, 1952 2,692,676 Grover Oct. 26, 1954 2,714,449 Holland Aug. 2, 1955 FOREIGN PATENTS 2,958 Great Britain Feb. 8, 1884 167,108 Australia Feb. 28, 1956 759,986 Germany Mar. 23, 1953 

